


what the tide brought back

by FiresFromOurHearts



Series: Uncharted Waters [5]
Category: Naruto
Genre: AU of an AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Danzo dies, Families of Choice, Family, Fuuinjutsu, Gen, Happy Ending, No Uchiha Massacre, Root - Freeform, Sometimes friendship is helping take down the government, Sometimes you just need, Uchiha Shisui Lives, Uprising, Uzushiogakure | Hidden Eddy Village, a hostile takeover, thank god
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:01:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28248072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FiresFromOurHearts/pseuds/FiresFromOurHearts
Summary: Toru Uchiha is born with his eyes wide open and screaming. He is one and already walking, talking but quiet. Toru is three and playing with chakra. Toru is six(and he remembers).In which the Uchiha Clan notice Toru as the genius his parents try to hard, and Toru is pushed further and faster to bring honour to his clan. But there are many things that go on in the background and the shadows hide horrible things indeed.Technically another AU of my series, but can be read as a standalone.
Relationships: Uchiha Itachi & Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Shisui & Original Male Character(s)
Series: Uncharted Waters [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1875832
Comments: 4
Kudos: 67





	what the tide brought back

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PearlBear](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PearlBear/gifts).



> This is totally for Pearl. Not just because she helped me so often with this and with so much more, but because this was so much fun and Shisui lives and also all those reasons I said just before. If I could like gift everything to Pearl, I probably would. Thankfully, I don't do that because that'd be a lot. but the thought is there. 
> 
> **Quick breakdown of the original series:** Toru Uchiha has lived before. He's lived as Toru Mizushima, Uzushio's last Uzukage before her fall. 
> 
> Warning for a panic attack as well, I guess.

Toru is born with his eyes wide open and screaming, _(he will be strong the Uchiha midwives say—and they have no idea what they are dealing with, not yet at least)_. Like most children grow, he does to, _(they are all growing)_. He is one and already walking and talking, _(he is quiet and unobtrusive and it goes unnoticed)_. Then, he is two and he has no father.

Satomi Uchiha reads out a short and simple eulogy in a graveyard that is filled with more ghosts than people. Leaning into her leg, Toru fingers the hem of his top and stares at the stone, _(he is too young and too quiet and too knowing, but no one else has noticed—not yet at least)_. The grave is simple. It is plain. It is hidden in the back corner of the graveyard and it is a disgrace, _(Satomi would spit sparks about such a thing, but she cannot quite bring herself to care, her thoughts are tangled with grief and future worries; her child is the only comfort she has now)_.

“Rest peacefully, Yori,” Satomi says quietly, head bowed. And together, Toru and Satomi watch as the incense burns while day turns to night.

Following her husband’s death, Satomi throws herself into providing for Toru and herself. Not only is there ninja equipment to look after and buy, but there are supplies for the house and Toru and payment for Toru’s schooling.

_(She has to prove that she can survive Yori’s death. Her clan almost refused her marriage to the Uzushio refugee and his death has left them wondering whether she is still strong. They will not say such things to her face, will not dare disrespect the death and the sacrifice Yori has made for Konoha, but they will think such things regardless. It will seep into their conversations with her and how they treat her—how they treat her son. Toru does not deserve such things and so she will prove that they are strong.)_

The result is that Toru is traded between families while his mother completes mission after mission. He regularly sees her every fortnight for a day or two before she’s off again, coming back in the dead hours of the night or just as the sun rises. Toru is never home for these moments, instead he is off in some other house, looked after by strangers who are family because they are all Uchihas.

He is three and playing with his chakra, _(off in the distance but very close nearby, Itachi and Shisui meet for the first time)_. And people notice. Because Toru is not with Yori who has been dead for a year. Because Satomi is not whispering to hide things. Because Toru’s parents are dead and strangers. Because Toru is traded between families and people and left with no one to rely on aside from himself.

People are starting to take notice of him, but they will let him be for a bit. They are not fighting in Clan Wars. Children are allowed to be kept safe for a few more years.

_(And the Uchiha Clan Head pushes his children further and faster and the clan gathers around them. They want to be better, to be more, to have a reputation. They want to be accepted.)_

_(They are isolated and they are distrusted and something has to give—something will give, just not yet.)_

Still, Toru is traded between families but now he is taught. His eyes are wide open and they are watchful and wary. Someone hands him a kunai and fixes his grip. Another hands him a senbon and tells him about pressure points. A chūnin teaches him a set of katas because you are never too young. A jōnin, war-weary, shows him chakra exercises. A genin pulls him aside to teach him and shows him how to cook. A civilian couple show him how to do the laundry.

_(They teach him life skills—both civilian and ninja ones. They teach him how to do housework in the same day they teach him how to kill a person.)_

Toru is five and his mother never comes home from a mission. He had last spoken to her three days ago. They’d last hugged five days ago. He’d whispered ‘I love you’ on the wind a day ago and hoped it would carry his words to her, _(she knew because such things were branded on her heart)_.

And so, Toru stands in a graveyard full of ghosts and him and burns incense. Her grave is next to her husband’s. There is no one else to write a eulogy nor is there anyone else to say it. There is no comfort for him nor is there someone to see his tears. There is no weakness in crying, but no one has told Toru this.

He returns to a house that is empty of love and kindness and family. He returns to a house with himself and nothing else. He is five and he can live on his own because people have shown him how to, _(it does not occur to him or to anyone else that he shouldn’t have to)_.

However, despite all the changes and the people coming in and out of his life, _(and never returning)_ , there has been one constant for Toru. A second or third cousin, somehow related to Satomi and now to him, always returns as often as possible—Shisui.

Shisui is ten and still too young, but too smart and too alive and too strong to be anything but a ninja. But he understands Toru, understands how Toru gets things quickly, understands how lonely it gets, understands how your heart aches with grief, understands how sometimes you have nothing. Shisui is ten and understands. Toru is five and soft-hearted but smart and on his way to being strong.

Shisui is ten. Itachi is seven and is officially on the mission roster and has been for a year. Shisui knows it’s not right but he can’t change it. Toru is five and will enter the Ninja Academy soon, _(and Shisui can do nothing but watch as being ninjas destroys the pair of them because they are too good and too kind and too gentle for this life; he is none of those things but he will be a monster so that they can live)_.

And, well, Shisui is frustrated and irritated but there is nothing for him to do but keep going—so he does. And so does Itachi. And so does Toru, _(who dreams and dreams and dreams and tells no one because no one asks and almost no one notices)_.

Then, Toru is six and starting the Ninja Academy. Toru is six and training with his clan before and after the Academy. Toru is six and he _remembers_. He remembers his beautiful village by the sea, the call of the sea birds, the crash of the waves, the salt on the wind. He remembers the people as they laughed and cried and smiled and frowned. He remembers his friends and family as they gathered around him and loved him without any hesitation. He remembers being an ANBU and his genin teammates and his ANBU teammates. He remembers the invasion and the betrayal and his death. He remembers it all but he also remembers being Toru Uchiha-Uzumaki in this life.

There’s no question about who he is. He knows who he is, _(who he’s always been)_. He’s Toru Mizushima and he’s Toru Uchiha and he’s Toru Uzumaki. He’s lived once and he will live again, _(and maybe Uzushio is behind it all, but maybe she isn’t; maybe this is Uzushio giving him a chance to help others beyond Uzushio’s reach)._

_(Because they are all kids and they should not be fighting on battlefields or going on missions. They are children and they should have a childhood—yet it was stolen from them, and Toru hates that.)_

Toru starts the Academy and considers just—taking his time. Not rushing through it all. But his clan is behind him and pushing him to do more, to be more, to be better. They know he’s a prodigy or a genius or whatever they’re calling it, _(he knows better; he’s just Toru, nothing more, nothing less)_. They won’t let him get away with such things. But- But Toru doesn’t have to let that mean that the Academy means nothing to him. Maybe if he was Toru Uchiha-Uzumaki only, and nothing else, he’d keep to himself with the learnt-isolation that comes from no real family or connections, _(except for Shisui, but Shisui can’t be there for everything)_. But Toru isn’t just Toru Uchiha-Uzumaki. He’s Uzushio’s Toru Mizushima, ANBU Commander, and Uzukage. So he reaches out. He’s from the Uchiha Clan and people look away from him, distrust him, pity him, are jealous of him, but he doesn’t want to be that proud person that they all scorn. He just wants…

_(Friends.)_

He just wants to help. And he does his best, even as he flies through the year, filling it with training and the Academy. What little spare time he has goes into helping his classmates—well, anyone who really wants and accepts his help.

Toru does his best, smiles and laughs and talks. He’s a bit too unlike the other kids, not that they really mind. The adults glance at him sometimes and murmur Itachi’s name, _(he’s following in Itachi-san’s footsteps)_ , or Shisui’s when he’s with others, _(he has Shisui-san’s personality)_.

_(It makes Toru want to scream that he is not like them, that he is his own person, that none of them are carbon-copies of one another. But he is a child and they will ignore him because adults always do.)_

In the end, Toru graduates from the Academy in a year, _(and he leaves behind people he will call allies, people who will help him and who he will help in return; they will not forget about him nor will he forget them)_. Shisui smiles at him, the only one at the ceremony, bandages covering his hand, but he’s still there. And Toru smiles back and knows that the world will try to start burning him out now, _(but he will not burn because he is not fire)_.

Yet despite finding allies and making connections, Toru isn’t placed on a team with those he graduates with. Maybe this is because he’s a prodigy. Maybe this is because he’s so much younger than the others. Maybe this is because he’s proven he can be shifted around and doesn’t need to learn about teamwork.

_(Maybe there is something bigger in play, but Toru can’t be sure or check anything because he is six in a clan of many and he is only important because of his past life.)_

Toru is seven and a genin. He is seven to the silence of a household of one. He is seven to his cousin bursting in through the door in the early hours of the afternoon, having rushed back from a mission. He is seven and laughing and smiling and living, _(and there are so many thoughts in his head he cannot say)_.

He is seven and it is birthday. He is seven and his parents are dead. He is seven and a ninja.

_(He is seven and has nothing to live for.)_

But something has to give in life—and something does. It is Shisui, in the end, who falters, stumbles, struggles to keep his head above the water. Because Shisui, who is twelve and too kind and too soft, _(for all that he refuses such labels)_ , tries to keep his own fears and worries and weaknesses locked away so those he loves cannot see it. He smiles even when he doesn’t feel like it, laughs when it’s almost impossible to do so, and does his best to appear happy, even if he isn’t.

Shisui who, instead of training, sits on the ground in a secluded training ground within the compound and fights his mind to breathe. It’s Toru, in the end, who finds him. And Toru knows that nothing will make everything magically better and words certainly won’t help, not when Shisui is too used to smiling and laughing because it’s better than the alternative.

Approaching from the front, Toru doesn’t pause even when Shisui appears not to notice him, _(but he must, because Shisui is a ninja and Toru is making noise and that means that Toru’s trusted, designated as safe by Shisui, and that’s a wonderful thing to know despite the current situation)_. Sitting in front of Shisui, Toru wraps his arms around the older Uchiha.

Shisui sobs, and pretty much pulls Toru onto his lap. And Toru, who is seven to Shisui’s twelve years, is small and light enough that it doesn’t matter. And he tucks his head under Shisui’s chin and thinks of being five and mourning a mother who was away more often than she was home. He remembers being two and knowing so little of grief but still drowning in it. And he remembers being Uzushio’s and every aching bit of grief that came with it, every stressor that pressed down on him. He remembers all of this and does his best to comfort Shisui.

And, when Shisui is seemingly more cognizant, he looks up and meets Shisui’s dark gaze. “It’ll be alright,” he says solemnly, and he knows nothing about why Shisui is breaking down but he knows enough. He knows Shisui is on an edge and he knows that he loves Shisui and that’s all that matters, _(they tell stories and legends of what Uchihas would do for their loved ones, the boundaries that they would break, but really such things are normal to ninjas because there is nothing more deadly than a ninja with someone to protect and love and cherish)_.

Shisui knows that Toru cannot really help, that he’s too young to really understand what’s at stake, that he hasn’t been working outside the compound long enough. But Toru says the words like a promise, like an oath, and Shisui wants to believe it, wants to trust in Toru, _(and he does; he doesn’t know why, but he does)_.

_(How can he know why? There is an Uzukage standing in front of him who has lived and died and lived again.)_

But not everything is good and the world is far from perfect and Toru is still fallible and the worst happens—he makes a mistake. Because Toru is an Uchiha in this life and when his father died years ago, he can’t claim that he was taught seals either. And he uses them, because how can he not? They’re Uzushio’s legacy as much as they are his.

_(But there is no Toru without seals, that much has always been clear. Without seals, without freedom, without hope and faith and love, without so many things, Toru is nothing. Seals are important, are powerful, but more so for what they mean to Toru, what they symbolize.)_

The worst part is that the mistake, a simple use of seals, doesn’t even get back to the people who matter. It doesn’t reach the Hokage, the Uchiha Clan Head, or Shisui. It reaches a figure shrouded by shadows who watches those who are vulnerable and those who are better than they should be, who watches Itachi and Shisui and Toru, _(and notices that the latter does not matter)_.

_(People do not look at the little kids leaning back against the shadows, do not notice those outside their social circle. People look at kids racing around a playground and brush them off as just kids. This story is not their story, though, it is Toru's—but the similarities are there.)_

Toru is small and young and inexperienced—or so he appears as such. A mission gone wrong, a solo mission for a few weeks, _(he is a kid, Shisui would shout, but Shisui is not there and no one else will stand up for the lost and lonely Uchiha child)_ , a mission where Toru goes out and is taken. Not by enemy forces, but by those he should have trusted.

There is no world, no universe, where Toru is a sensor. It is a downfall and a weakness and it will always exist. But Toru is a ninja and has been for years and decades, has lived through wars. He is seven and the world is an awful place and Toru’s strength is in being underestimated, in being overlooked, in being ignored, in seals, in stealth. And, well, even figures shrouded in shadows make mistakes.

This was only their first mistake in dealing with Toru. Their second was expecting Toru to try and leave, _(they thought of him as a genin, as a child, as a seven-year-old)_. But Toru is a ninja, an Uzukage, an ANBU Commander. He does not try to find an exit, does not do what he is expected to.

No, he goes searching for answers, for reasons, for information. And he finds it too. It’s simple really, a room full of files. There can be no surge of chakra here, but Toru is quiet and sneaky and small and easily overlooked. He spends hours reading and reading. He learns things that leave him horrified, things he puts aside to take with him, _(because he needs proof)_.

He gets massacres and slaughters, gets lies and assassinations, gets fraud and treason. But—and this is the most important bit—he finds a seal too, hidden at the back, in a corner. And it’s clearly something created not by a seal master in a style that isn’t quite Uzushio’s.

Toru knows that Konoha, technically, has its own way of teaching seals, a style that is almost distinct. But Toru was born in Uzushio once, lived his entire life there, breathed the seals there. In doing so, he can find the similarities and can deconstruct the seal without knowing the Konoha style, _(people like to forget, nowadays, that seals came with the Uzumaki Clan, came from what would eventually be Uzushio, Konoha’s seals are the children of Uzushio’s seals)_.

This time he finds out about kekkei genkai theft and rumours that lead to the fall of a village, _(of Uzushio)_. He finds out about children stolen and taken—from most villages, even Konoha.

_(Toru is a child, but not truly. But these are children taken, childhoods stolen, and it will not stand. Not while Toru remains alive.)_

And when all has been read and Toru knows he needs to get out, he pauses and thinks. By now, those who’ve captured him, _(ROOT they call themselves)_ , probably know he’s somewhere in their hideout still. They’re assassins and slaughterers and ninjas, so they’ll be waiting in the shadows and around corners and hanging from the roof, kunai in hand, ready to attack. Toru does not have a team, does not have backup, has nothing but himself. There is no one to call on and he cannot fight to his full potential here.

He has himself and that is all. He has his knowledge and his chakra, his strength and his intelligence. It will be enough.

_(He has always made sure it was enough. This is always the same, in every world and every universe.)_

And yet, he can’t quite just rig everything to explode and get himself out because there are children being stolen, going missing, being kidnapped, and it looks like the Hokage knows and is doing nothing. That means that Toru’s got to do something and can’t just rely on the Hokage.

There’s no village at his call here, no ANBU teammates to guard his back. There’s only him and the allies he has made throughout the years. His clan, more than likely, will listen to him if he can prove the files are real, but they’ll turn on Konoha quickly and won’t listen to him. It’s not what Toru wants.

Still, there’s no point thinking about future plans, not when he needs to get out of this situation first. He doesn’t have much helping him with that either. He doesn’t want to use his seals her, wants to keep his knowledge hidden for the most part. The less ROOT knows, the less Danzō knows, the better off he is.

And there’s no way Toru’s walking out the actual exits—not alive, at least. However, a vague idea is starting to form in his mind. He leaps, flipping, and stands on the ceiling. Crouching down, he presses his fingertips against the ceiling. It’s smooth like he’d expected; after all, it was formed due to some ninjutsu or another. Through his fingertips, chakra threads through the rock and forces itself upward, growing like a plant.

It’s not a jutsu or anything, just simple chakra manipulation. His chakra stretches and, after a minute or so, Toru breathes out, slowly, carefully, calmly. Then, he flicks through a few hand seals and lets the rock beneath him shift.

Ever so slowly, he starts digging his way through the earth. He can’t rush this, because there’s a chance such a chakra surge might be noticed—a small chance, but Toru got himself caught by not being cautious enough. So, chakra barely fluctuating with the ninjutsu, he forces himself to keep going, even as he wants to rush and reach for the bright light of the sun.

When he gets to the surface, the first thing he does is inhale the fresh air, before looking around to get his bearings. It’s one of Konoha’s training grounds—empty, thankfully—near the walls.

ROOT is a massive organisation and not one that Toru can take care of quickly. He needs more people at his back—allies and friends. He needs something massive. In Konoha, he needs the backing of the clans, political power, and power of his own. He’s going to need supplies and information, in Konoha and in the wider world.

_(What he wouldn’t give to have Uzushio’s people at his back.)_

Toru breathes in and breathes out and does his best to think his way through half a dozen plans. The immediate problem is that he’s technically in Konoha when, really, he should be out of it and coming through the gates. He’s definitely capable of sneaking out of Konoha to do things properly but…

But does he want to?

Coming back from the mission provides him with a chance to be in the light, to have the attention on him, so people are aware that he exists and he can’t be stolen away without being missed. The downside of entering Konoha via the mission gates is that ROOT will also know where he is. Is the potential safety worth the enemy knowing where he is?

Because- Because another plan is forming, in the back of his head. Most people see Toru and think that he’s just a kid and he has a habit of blending in with those around him. People don’t really keep track of Toru, just let their eyes glance over him. It means that Toru has often been where he shouldn’t be, where no one really wants a ninja to be.

The point is that Toru’s seen the Underground at work far too often and knows how to work it. And he knows people to, can manipulate them like any ninja worth their chakra. And, well, people listen for things they know, things they want to hear.

_(There’s a village out there waiting to be called back home.)_

This is going to be war. A war where you hide and hide and attack in the middle of the night. It’ll be assassinations and stolen child soldiers and undermining an organisation that tried to burn you and everything you loved to the ground, _(and thought they had succeeded)_.

Uzushio had been a village by the sea, had been a village at the base of a volcano, had been a village surrounded by cliffs. Uzushio had been dangerous except for all the ways it hadn’t been.

_(You can’t burn a volcano; it’ll only destroy you in return.)_

Toru won’t leave his people of now ignorant either—he’ll get in touch with Shisui. Shisui’s young but… but sometimes you don’t get a choice. He knows that much.

_(The sea will swallow you whole if you disrespect it.)_

The basis of a plan is there. Hit the ground and take to the shadows. Warn Shisui. Gather your people back up and keep them safe. Get an information network running through them. Find strongholds and take them. Wrestle the control back into your hands. Destroy ROOT and lead your people home victorious.

_(The wind will always be unwatched and can be the deadliest thing the moment you forget to think about it.)_

One step forward. Then another. Toru starts walking and keeps walking. Chakra gathers around him and gives him a new shape, subtly changing his features, but not changing much. It’s too dangerous to go for a full-blown henge in a ninja village after all. However, a small henge that blurs one’s features and only slightly changes them with the addition of a few seals should suffice.

_(The sea never dies, but does anyone remember what happens after the sea has withdrawn its waves?)_

It shouldn’t be that simple to get into the Uchiha Clan Compound, but it is. _It is_. It sends something skittering down his spine, makes him shiver, anxiety and fear trying to wrap their thorns around his bones. But Toru’s bones are steel and thorns will break before he bends, so he swallows down that anxiety and fear and keeps moving forward.

Shisui is home, alone, something nervous and something scared and far too young. And he knows that something is about to give—because Toru is dead and Shisui’s been dancing on a tightrope for too long; because Toru is dead and Itachi relies on him and he can’t give in; because Toru is dead and the tightrope has become knives and yet Shisui can’t stop, _(but he wants to, desperately, with all the grief and sorrow a broken soldier has left)_. 

Toru is dead dead dead and Shisui is still alive, _(why?)_ and Toru is deaddeaddead and he can’t bReAThE! 

And-

A hand, careful and solid, curves around his neck and rests there. Grounding and not threatening somehow. A forehead presses against his. Familiar chakra seems to enshroud him and somehow, against all the odds, he breathes.

“Easy,” a voice murmurs, gentle and soft, and it breaks him further. He chokes on a sob. “Hey, hey, it’s going to be alright. Deep breathes. In for four, hold for six, and out for eight. With me.” 

The voice counts for him and Shisui follows the order—because it is an order, the gentle tone might make it strange, but there’s no option other than following the voice. He has to breathe and he has to keep count. And he can. And he does it.

Then he opens his eyes to a ghost and considers the fact he’s in a genjutsu that won’t break. His Sharingan is spinning and still, _still_ , Toru doesn’t change. But he breathes and talks and he’s warm, _(he feels alive but that can’t be right)_.

And then Toru’s chakra bubbles to the surface. In front of Shisui’s very eyes, Toru smiles and says, “The wind unrestrained.” 

Their phrase.

A sob catches in Shisui’s throat, choking him, and he can still breathe. This is nothing like the hyperventilation of before. This is crying in relief. He hugs Toru, feels it returned with strength, and continues to breathe.

Finally, and only when Shisui pulls back, Toru begins to talk. He starts with a village brought up from the sea, of an Uzukage betrayed, of a village that could be brought back because they planned extensively. He ends with a mission gone wrong, of a Konoha corrupted, of children stolen, of lives ruined, _(of a war-mongering monster that’s all too human)_.

_(There are things that he cannot mention yet, things he has yet to accept. There’s only betrayal and hurt fostered in his soul, rage and anger slowly emerging from his grief.)_

_(Konoha has yet to see a wronged Uzushio-nin working against them, has yet to see what Jakkaru will do. For he stood against an invading fleet with only his ANBU team at his back and did not back down. And he would do the same in Konoha, stand against a force much bigger and—potentially—much stronger and not back down. He would do it for those he lost, the scattered citizens of Uzushio, and he would do it for Shisui too.)_

“What do you think we should do?” Shisui asks, because he feels lost—not unmoored with new knowledge, but he never thought that some of Konoha’s government would be willing to do the things Danzō, through ROOT, has done.

_(He will not let the Uchiha Clan be another massacre, destroyed for what they might do. One man’s fear has hurtled the Uchiha Clan towards their doom.)_

Toru breathes in, steady, and unconsciously Shisui mimics the gesture. “We have information and we have proof,” he says at last. “And… And no one knows that I’m alive. So that’s another point in our favour, right?”

_(He looks to Shisui and he is still Shisui’s little cousin. It sends relief skittering through Shisui’s body, he hadn’t even realised he’d been worried about Toru no longer seeing him as family.)_

“Yeah,” he agrees, and he feels tired, exhausted down to his bones. The kind of thing that comes from emotional exhaustion and the mental weariness of Toru’s news, _(the kind of thing that comes from struggling to breathe)_.

“Right,” Toru says, nodding. “We need people then. We can’t manage this—not alone, even with everything we have on our side. We need people with more political power and those in the limelight.” He pauses, _(and Shisui knows his words are about to hurt)_ , “People who can speak up and won’t get vanished for it.”

That limits the number of people Shisui knows, not that he knows too many people he’d be willing to pull into this and risk anyway. “This isn’t just going to be about the Uchiha, is it?”

Toru shakes his head. “Every clan,” he says, and there’s something dangerous in his voice, _(the threat has been made and, at last, he is reacting)_. “Children from civilian families. This is about _everyone_.”

“I don’t have many people to call on outside of the clan,” Shisui says, “or even in the clan. There’s Itachi, but…”

“We’ll need the Uchiha Heir at our side. He has more power than we do and it’ll be helpful to have him on our side,” Toru says, and they’ve shifted now, sitting side by side, pressed against each other. Toru glances sideways, meets Shisui’s eyes and looks vaguely apologetic, “I know he’s your friend and I hate to ask this of you, but do you think you can get him on our side?”

Shisui laughs, it’s slightly too high pitched, but Toru doesn’t say anything. He’d forgotten, or maybe he just hadn’t realised, but Toru had no reason to know that Itachi and Shisui had been trying to deal with this mess themselves. “Itachi will be on our side,” he promises. Then considers the time and the date, trying to figure out where Itachi will likely be.

“Oh shit,” he says, scrambling to his feet. “I’m meant to meet Itachi for training in a few minutes. Out of the compound,” he adds, because that’s important. He takes Toru’s hand and heaves the other boy up. “It’ll be a good time to talk about all of this, far from prying eyes or whatever. You can lay down some privacy seals to help.”

“Can do,” Toru readily agrees as they fly over the rooftops towards the training ground. They reach a training ground that’s fairly secluded and Toru’s never heard it mentioned in idle conversation so it’s probably safe.

Shisui had body flickered ahead to give some warning to Itachi, and Toru doesn’t know what Shisui’s planning to reveal. And he doesn’t care either. It’s relieving to have someone know the truth and he trusts Shisui, trusts him with his past life, _(trusts him with Uzushio)_.

When he enters the training ground, it’s quiet. Shisui and Itachi are standing together watching him, _(and you’re kids, Toru thinks, because he can hardly think otherwise; this shouldn’t be happening to you, you should not be in this position)_.

“Hey,” he says softly to Itachi, because this isn’t him coming to the Uchiha Heir for help or anything like that. Or it is, but he’s not asking the Uchiha Heir for help in any official matter, he’s asking the Uchiha Heir for help against the Uchiha Clan to save the clan. He turns his gaze to Shisui and says, “I’ve laid some privacy seals down. No one should come near us, but I’ll know if they do—unless they have a fūinjutsu expert on their hands, which is unlikely.”

They plan and they plan and they plan. They figure out contingency plan after contingency, knowing better than to rely on one plan. It takes time and a lot of debating, but Itachi finally agrees to reach out to the other clans. Figuring out which clan to approach first isn’t exactly easy, but it’s not too difficult either. Toru has information regarding all the clans and they need a show of force on their side. Or maybe a show of solidarity.

The point is that a clan council is the best way to disseminate the information without anyone believing they’re trying to help one clan more than the other. While they have to deal with politics, Toru’s hoping they can avoid clan politics, if nothing else.

So they go to the Nara Clan, the ones who regularly call and mediate clan councils. They can’t go to the Nara Clan Compound, however, as such a thing will certainly get back to organisations they don’t want to know, not yet at least. Three ninjas entering the Jōnin Commander’s office? That’s not too abnormal, even if two of three are obviously Uchihas.

Even in his office, Shikaku Nara does not have an intimidating presence. Toru isn’t sure whether this is on purpose or simply an effect of the Nara Clan’s stereotypical laidback personality. The only surprise Shikaku shows, at their entry, is a raised eyebrow as he looks up from his paperwork to see Itachi flanked by Shisui and Toru.

“Nara-sama,” Itachi says with a shallow bow. “I come to you now as the Uchiha Heir.”

Shikaku doesn’t respond straight away, eyes narrowing, before he breathes out a heavy exhale. “This conversation isn’t going to be an easy one, is it?” The question is clearly rhetorical, but it has Itachi pausing—because they planned on what to do, what actions everyone else might take, but they didn’t plan what to say. And now Itachi isn’t sure what to say because he knows the information, but this isn’t a report and he doesn’t have the folders.

Toru steps forward, _(makes himself level with Itachi, meets Shikaku’s gaze, and reminds himself that he is an ANBU Commander, an Uzukage, no matter what happens)_. “Do you have any privacy seals?” He asks and Shikaku doesn’t react—it’s such a careful non-reaction that it means something.

There’s a few beats of silence and Shikaku’s chakra crackles, and his very presence seems to become menacing, looming over them. Toru doesn’t falter, doesn’t even let himself think about it. “We have evidence that shows one of Konoha’s Elders is actively working against Konoha and the Hokage, purposefully destabilising society, complicit in multiple acts of treason and the deaths of many Konoha-nins, and has created an army of stolen children.”

The killing intent aimed at Toru almost makes him stumble, but he keeps his feet rooted in the ground and meets Shikaku’s eyes as he unseals a scroll containing all the folders he’d taken. “That’s a hefty accusation to make,” Shikaku says lightly as he takes the scroll. “Is this your proof?”

“Yes,” Toru says. “I can also show where the army is based since I was taken there on my mission by a Konoha-nin I thought I could trust.”

_(There’s rage hidden beneath his words, barely a quiver to show for it, but it’s there all the same. Bubbling and pooling and growing stronger and stronger the more he thinks about it.)_

“Toru Uchiha,” Shikaku says slowly, looking up from the folders he’d just unsealed. “You were reported dead.”

Toru grins, _(it is not friendly)_ , “Fancy that,” he says, quiet and dangerous in the way that predators often are. “We came to you because this involves all the clans and a clan council needs to be called. More than that, we need help to break down the segregation of the Uchiha Clan that _Danzō_ is purposefully creating.”

_(He wonders if they’ve misjudged Shikaku. If he’s on Danzō’s side or if he’ll take the information for himself and leave them with nothing. He won’t fall again but if he’s pushed, he will destroy anything in his way like the tsunami his rage is.)_

“I’ll call a clan council,” Shikaku says, one folder in. He seals the folders once again and looks up at them. “Who knows you’re alive?”

_(Are you safe?)_

“No one else,” Toru admits quietly, because there’s no one to turn to. No one to tell. “But it’ll be helpful to have more than the clans on your side, right? I’ve got a few allies I can call on who’ll spread the word. They’re not going to spill to Danzō unless they’ve been inducted into ROOT after, but… it’s unlikely as they’re not naturally skilled or anything. Which seems to be what Danzō looks for.”

“Will ROOT be looking for you?” Shikaku asks, voice sharper.

“Yes,” Toru agrees, “so I’d prefer if we could move quickly so they do not find me first.”

“That makes things harder,” Shikaku asks, before turning his gaze on Itachi and Shisui. “This isn’t an official mission, but your job is to guard Toru and keep him safe. Understood?” They both nod. “I’ll host a clan council tomorrow at twelve. It’s the fastest I’m likely to get everyone in one place. Itachi-san, you know where it is?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Bring Shisui-san and Toru-san with you tomorrow. They will be vital in this, I believe.” Shikaku scans them, meeting their individual gazes, before saying, “You will have the Nara Clan at your back if you need. Our grounds are open to you if you require help.”

Toru bows, along with Shisui and Itachi. “Thank you,” Itachi says, and then they leave. Carefully, Toru squishes his chakra signature and bundles it up so he can barely reach his chakra.

“Who are the allies you mentioned?” Shisui asks as they slip into a ground, eyes flashing Sharingan-red as he layers a genjutsu over Toru to hide his appearance.

“People I met in the Academy,” Toru explains as he leads them towards the Konoha Library. “They didn’t come from clans and were often struggling with the workload and I could help. So I did. We had a kind of tutoring program, I guess? No one was a prodigy or anything, but they worked hard to pass. And since I flew through most of the years, it wasn’t one age-group or class but a bunch. From what I last heard, it continued even after I’d graduated.”

“Do you keep in touch?” Shisui asks, mind reeling with the new knowledge because it’s nothing like he’s ever heard ninjas do before. They have friends, yes, and allies, but they don’t have entire networks. Or maybe they do and he just isn’t part of them due to being an outsider as an Uchiha and a prodigy, _(because no matter how hard he tries, he cannot leave such labels behind)_.

Toru shrugs. “I don’t really, but… Kind of? There’s a way to reach out if anyone needs help or has questions. It’s not necessarily made for _this_ kind of thing but it should work. Especially if people have reached out to others once they’re in the Genin Corps so we’re not just genins and academy students.”

They enter the library in silence and Toru heads down a level. Itachi and Shisui go ahead, briefly talking to the chūnin guards whilst Toru slips past into the Academy section of the library.

The Konoha Library has a civilian section in the upper levels, while the lower levels contain ninja information. Anything available to Academy students is on the level below ground four. It’s guarded by chūnins, as is the genin section, but anything further down has better security.

The Academy section is mainly empty, which makes sense considering the time of day. “Are you trying to find someone?” Shisui asks, voice quieter due to the environment.

_(Itachi doesn’t speak, doesn’t know what to say. He feels like an intruder here.)_

“Maybe,” Toru says, glancing around, before heading down between two bookshelves towards the healthy lifestyle section. “If no one’s here, I’ll check the notebooks for any upcoming meetups that anyone can gate crash.”

Thankfully, there appears to be someone there—someone Toru actually knows as well which helps. They’re not someone from the first group that Toru had helped, but rather someone from his graduating class—Toshiaki.

“Hey Toshiaki,” Toru says softly, voice lowered because they are in a library, _(and because this is not something to be broadcasted to the world around them)_. He slips into the seat opposite the older genin.

“Toru,” Toshiaki says, blinking rapidly before meeting Toru’s eyes. “I haven’t seen you in a while. No one has.”

Pausing, Toru considers his answer—he’s been busy, he’s been on missions, he hasn’t needed to come. All technically true, but they don’t quite feel right, _(don’t feel true, and Toru’s had enough of lies)_. He shrugs, lets Toshiaki have that as his answer. “Anyone else here?” He asks instead.

Toshiaki raises an eyebrow, but nods in response to his question. “Kazue and Setsuko,” he says. Then, closing his book, waits.

“I need your help,” Toru says blatantly, and he hasn’t outright reached out to them for this before, never depended on them. He’s helped them, but not vice versa.

“What do you need?” Toshiaka says in response, not even waiting to find out what Toru needs, _(like they aren’t ninjas and favours are one of the most dangerous things in the world)._

_(In one world, Toru will call on Tomoe and her gang and the network they have formed together. In this world, there is no one called Tomoe but Toru still has a network to call on—a different one with different purposes and a different structure, but one made of allies all the same.)_

Toru breathes out, relaxes, feels more than sees Shisui and Itachi at his back. “I need you to spread some information for me,” he says, voice dropping to a softer whisper even as Kazue and Setsuko appear from further in the library. “To anyone who we can trust to keep this to ourselves.”

“It’ll be done,” Kazue says, eyes wide, coming into the conversation late but agreeing regardless, _(because this is Toru)_.

_(They should not be a big network, but they are. They are the ignored and the unknown. The ones searching for knowledge but without a clan to depend on. They are civilians and non-clan ninjas and they are **dangerous**.)_

And Toru trusts them at their word, _(because he has to; because he believes in people)_ , so he leans forward and whispers to them secrets that far too many have died for, been killed for.

The night passes in shifts of three hours. They rotate, moving from safehouse to safehouse. Shisui and Itachi take their guard duty seriously, and Toru takes their lives seriously. So all of them sleep, and they also plan and prepare, because they are ninjas. They know that what will go wrong, likely will. The dangers are there and there is so much at stake, _(it’s not just a clan on their shoulders now, but an entire village and, perhaps, the whole country)_.

Itachi leads Shisui and Toru to the Clan Council meeting room before it starts. Shikaku is already there, clad in formal robes and looking like he’s ready to fall asleep any minute. He opens up one eye to look at them lazily, _(the focus is sharp and Toru can feel it—not a blade at his throat, but a careful scan for injuries)_.

Toru nods and, alongside Shisui, takes up a guard position behind Shikaku. They don’t try to hide, there’s no point, but—appearances matter. Being there is already unusual, at least this makes it seem somewhat normal at least.

The Clan Heads enter, primarily in groups of two or three. Although he isn’t sure, Toru assumes that they’re entering with some of their allies. Shikaku stands out as the only one who entered alone—well, already was there. The Uchiha Clan Head—Fugaku—does the same, though Itachi trails after him. He is also the last one to arrive.

Just as Shikaku activates the privacy seals, Fugaku notices Shisui and Toru. It’s obvious because he looks surprised, _(it makes Toru feel strange, because ordinarily a ninja—even if Fugaku is off the active rosters—would hide their reaction, and he’d never thought himself as important to the clan)_. “Toru?” Fugaku asks, voice clear yet unsteady.

“Fugaku-sama,” Toru answers, bowing. He wants to look at Shisui, wants to feel his support and ask what to do, _(he had been the Uzukage, although he wasn’t meant to be in such a position; he was ANBU Commander, but never has he been in a situation like this)_.

Thankfully, Shikaku takes control, rather than letting Toru and Fugaku continue talking. “As you may be aware, Uchiha-sama,” Shikaku begins, “Toru was reported KIA on his recent mission.” The Nara’s gaze sweeps the group. “It turns out that Konoha’s foundations are rotted through. Toru-san returned to Konoha after being attacked by a member of an organisation called ROOT led by Danzō.”

Toru watches as Shikaku tells the story of ROOT and Danzō. He feels his heart break as learns that some of the clans had known—had been blackmailed into giving up a clan member, assuming it had been the Hokage’s orders, _(and maybe it wasn’t, but how could they know? The Sandaime has said nothing, but surely he must know; how can he not?)_.

By the end of the Clan Council, not only does everyone know of ROOT, but they have decided on a plan of action, _(because the Sandaime has not acted and it is doubtful he ever will)_.

_(Fugaku rises up, anger and outrage pouring off him, upon learning that the Uchiha Clan’s segregation and outcast reputation had been created and exacerbated by Danzō through ROOT. And the clans had stared the Uchiha Clan Head down and demanded him to backdown for now, as they’re all in this together.)_

There is no time. Toru is missing and ROOT is searching for him, but—more than that—the clans are angry and outraged. This is not a time for sneaky planning and attacks from the shadows. This is no steady build-up. In fact, that has already happened, _(one is not meant to return to claim the Kage seat, it is meant to be passed on—forward, always)_. A dam can only hold so much water back before it overflows, and it is definitely overflowing now.

The clans make a quick, rough plan. It will not occur in a week’s time—it will occur in hours.

_(This is, of course, not due to a young boy meant to be dead. Yet, at the same time, that’s all it really comes down to. Children meant to be dead but aren’t.)_

Shisui and Itachi follow Fugaku back to the Uchiha Clan. Itachi, after all, is the Clan Heir and must be seen backing Fugaku here, _(they do not mention how he will keep an eye on the Uchiha Clan as well)_. Meanwhile, Shisui is known to be powerful and influential in both Konoha and the Uchiha Clan, _(they do not mention that Shisui is Itachi’s backup for if things go wrong)_.

And while Shisui and Itachi will be part of the force seizing Konoha, Toru will be elsewhere. He is the one who knows where ROOT is. He is the one who has escaped and fled and can retrace his steps, _(he is eight but their ages do not matter, can’t matter; he is too young and too old, but no one makes a note of this because sometimes there are no choices)_.

It seems, at first, that Konoha has no idea what is coming. The village’s bustle seems normal, the crowds thick on the market streets, civilians hurrying to and from various places for one reason or another. The ninjas take to the rooftop highways, easily ignored since everyone is so used to it.

But Toru doesn’t know this—has no way of knowing this as he talks to Shikaku and a few other Clan Heads who are planning to follow him to ROOT’s base. In theory, Toru has been given orders to show them the way and then leave. After all, he’s a genin and eight-years-old, no one expects him to stay and fight, _(and survive)_. In practice, they know that plans don’t always work out.

_(The clock ticks down. It always is. The clock ticks down and the Sandaime signs another piece of paperwork. The clock ticks down and Danzō orders his child soldiers to hunt down the Uchiha who got away. The clock ticks down and the village’s day life continues.)_

It starts like this: a number of police members out on the streets, carefully warning civilians to get inside. They are questioned. They are shouted at, cursed at, spat upon. But they will protect their people, they always have. At their side, ninjas from various clans provide power and authority, _(and the civilians listen, because their protectors are telling them this)_.

Or, perhaps, it starts like this: groups of clan ninjas take control of various points of the village’s ninja areas. The Jōnin Lounge is taken. The Ninja Academy. The Hospital. And so many more.

Or maybe the start was a long time ago and it’s the middle that goes like this: the clans move quickly, _(the clans are ninjas, through-and-through; they are ruthless and have many, many alliances because the Clan Wars Era taught them the importance of allies)_. They move together.

Fugaku, accompanied by Chōza, Shibi, and Hiashi are the ones who enter the Hokage’s office. Naturally, there are ANBU guarding the Sandaime. And yet, they meet no resistance.

_(Beneath his ANBU mask, there is a shinobi known as Genma. He watches and does nothing, because he has his orders. You will not go near the boy, but you must watch as he starves and cries.)_

_(Beside him, there is another ANBU who might one day go by the name of Tenzō. Tenzō was created—and the Sandaime did not kill Orochimaru, but the babies floated, dead, and stared and stared and stared. They were voiceless but they still placed the blame firmly at the Sandaime’s feet.)_

_(There are other ANBU around, of course. They are protectors and soldiers. They patrol in-village and outside the village, protecting Konoha from threats both external and internal. But ANBU know something about complacency.)_

_(And there are so many ninjas who have looked the other way for ninjas who went MIA because they couldn’t take it. And Konoha may claim to be kind, but they are not. They are **not**.) _

In the end, it comes down to this: if the Sandaime ordered for the clans to be attacked, _(and destroyed and massacred, like the rumours will say he almost did)_ , Konoha’s ninjas would have defended instead. They would have stood alongside the clans and said no. They would have done this because kids have been stolen and the Sandaime has done nothing.

_(This is our generation and our time, they say without words and with one voice. It is now our time to govern. We will be the change we need; the change that you refused to be.)_

Or maybe it comes down to this: the Sandaime reads and signs paperwork, day after day. He is old and should not be the Hokage still. He knows this, how can he not? But there’s no other option, no other choice. When a number of the Clan Heads stand in front of him and demand he step down, he does so. He gives the hat, _(he always will)_ , and he is sorry—but not sorry enough, the Clan Heads know.

_(The blood is on his hands, but there has always been blood on his hands.)_

But maybe it’s not about the Sandaime at all. Because in the shadows there stands a figure who preaches strength but snuffs out life after life. When Toru leads multiple clans to ROOT’s base, he knows full well that they won’t all be coming back alive, _(and, afterward, he will mourn for the ninjas who died, the children who will never get to know Konoha, the lives lost in that ROOT base for reason or another—but that will be after)_ , but he also knows that Danzō will die because there is no alternative outcome.

Toru leads the force of ninjas to where he’d exited the tunnels the day before, _(it feels like so long ago, the fear and paranoia left in the past, but it hadn’t been long ago at all)_. The ground is smooth, of course, because Toru left no sign, _(he is a ninja, he knows better—if he’d been worse, he would be dead)_.

They already know how he got out, already know how they’re getting in. But that doesn’t mean Toru’s part is over yet. One of the most important things to come out of this attack, sans Danzō’s death, is getting evidence of Danzō’s wrongdoings. They already have what Toru’s collected, but it’d be helpful to have more.

He’s not the first in nor the second. Not even the third. However, when he finds himself in those tunnels, he forces himself to breathe. The tunnels haven’t harmed him, _(but those in them? They hunted him down, stole him away, tried to kill him—but they’re brainwashed child soldiers and so he almost doesn’t blame them; almost but not quite)_.

Two ninjas trail after him, and they follow behind the main group into the hallways. The hallways all look the same, but Toru still leads the group to the files room, _(he does not remember leaving a path that only he would find—but he did)_. They get there, unhindered, the ROOT-nins caught unprepared and stuck fighting the Konoha ninjas, _(and they are angry)_. Once there, the two ninjas turn to him, and tell him that he can go. That he should go.

_(Toru is young, a genin, eight-years-old. He would fight, if given the chance, but he has his orders and he will follow them—for now.)_

And so Toru leaps to the ceiling, and repeats his actions. This time, though, he isn’t escaping, simply leaving.

Except that doesn’t go to plan.

Someone slams into him. The ninjutsu fails around him and Toru quickly reaches out, grasping the world around him with chakra and forcing it outward, erratic, and breaks through the earth below him. He hits the ground, hard, but rolls and moves out of the way before the ROOT-nin follows him.

But Toru isn’t trying to hide anymore. There’s no one here to call him out, to spot his actions. And so, he breathes in, _(he is fighting for his life here)_ , and promptly decides to stop fucking around.

He lashes out, fast but not quite fast enough, with a seal. That’s okay, though, because Toru hadn’t been aiming for the ROOT-nin. The seal works exactly as it is meant to and the ROOT-nin crumbles, unconscious. Toru removes any sign of the seal being there, though it remains active.

In the ensuing silence, he looks around and-

And the room is strange. It’s empty for the most part, like the majority of rooms Toru has seen in the ROOT base, but there’s a massive seal on one wall. It’s active, too.

_(Shikaku had informed the clans, along with Shisui and Toru as a result, about ROOT in the previous years. The disband order. The seal demanding servitude and silence.)_

If there’s one thing Toru knows, even in another life, it’s seals. The seal on the wall isn’t quite something he’s seen before, but he can understand its foundations enough to know that it’s an abomination, _(once upon a time, the Mizushima Clan histories told that the clan destroyed the Hamasaki Clan who’d been partially responsible for some of the slave seals created; but now no one tells the histories)_.

It makes sense, in an awful kind of way, that Danzō wouldn’t be able to apply the seal to every single ROOT ninja. There would be too many, but he couldn’t let the ROOT-nins place the seal down and be able to activate it themselves. Copying the seal though? That, Toru knows, can be done if there’s a master seal that one person controls.

And it looks like he’s just found it.

Toru could definitely just bring down the whole seal which, he’s sure, will make things easier for everyone in the long run. On the other hand, the seal looks relatively simple aside from the awful slave components liberally scattered throughout. A few additional lines will turn the master seal, and all the copy seals, into sleep seals that will last for an hour, at most.

For a few minutes, he debates changing the seal. It’d help the battle, save lives on both sides. On the other side, it’d be revealing his mastery over seals—something he has no reason for knowing.

The world shudders around him, the boom of an explosion echoing throughout the base, and Toru laughs to himself. Of course. _Of course_ , he can just set a timed explosion for once the sleep timer has finished. It takes a few minutes, then he’s done and heading away from the fighting and the danger.

_(Meanwhile, Danzō dies and dies and dies. Bloodline theft is not tolerated—and child theft isn’t either, whether they were stolen or taken by blackmail.)_

In the end, this isn’t Toru’s war, _(nor is it Shisui’s or Itachi’s)_. He leaves the ROOT base behind, the sun’s golden rays slipping between tree leaves to turn the world around him gold. He finds Shisui or maybe Shisui finds him—or maybe they just find each other, _(they always will)_.

They’re not in positions of power, not really. All they can do is watch as the village begins to move in a new direction. And, in the meantime, Toru finally opens up to his grief, _(he has always been mourning Uzushio, but knowing what led to their fall has exacerbated it)_.

With everything over and done, Toru sits and thinks. There’s a chance for something new in Konoha, something better, _(he sees it in the smiles shared, the laughter rising above the crowd, the connection between everyone, the trust placed in their leaders)_. But Toru is thinking of a village to the east that lays in ruins and calls his name.

_(The Uchiha Clan go through their own changes. They have been reminded of their roots, of their love for family, of the thing that drives them all. Their Clan Heir retires from being a ninja, but he smiles now—and that, they all know, is far better.)_

Maybe Toru is eight and a genin and maybe he led to Danzō’s capture and ROOT’s defeat and the Sandaime’s retirement—but he’s still the same who could go missing and almost no one would notice. It’s not easy to keep his name out of the limelight, but it’s not too difficult either. Everyone’s far more focussed on the immediate ramifications of the Sandaime stepping down and the army of stolen children, _(stolen from clans, stolen from families, stolen from their childhoods; it’s the same regardless)_ , they now have to deal with.

In the end, it comes down to this: the wind doesn’t smell like sea salt, although it should; the waves are too far away to hear them crashing down onto the beach; the people of Uzushio are scattered and waiting.

In the end, Toru leaves, _(there are few worlds when he doesn’t)_. When he does leave, he doesn’t do it in secret. Shisui leaves with him and he doesn’t bother to hide. The Uchiha Clan will watch them go, will _let_ them go, because they have been relearning love and family, _(and sometimes you have to let people go because to do otherwise would chain them down and destroy them)_.

Maybe they’ll be classified as missing-nins, maybe they won’t be. It doesn’t matter because Uzushio waits for them and they’re alive.

_(This is their happy ending. Laughing in spite of the odds. Running with the wind with one another. They’ll have to work hard, bury their hands in the earth and erect buildings themselves, but they’ll do it gladly.)_

**Author's Note:**

> Technically, this is the second AU I started for this series, though I didn't finish it second. I got stuck for ages attempting to figure out where Toru should go in regards to dealing with ROOT and everything else that happens. In the end, the answer was a civil war-like thing and so here we are, with the end and it finally completed. 
> 
> Toru just cares for everyone and if he can help, he will. And so in the Academy he helps, and it's grow bigger even without him. Of course, it comes in handy later but Toru (and me, at the time) didn't know that. He's just doing it to help and find friends really.
> 
> I thought I'd totally have more notes for this, but I really don't. So I guess I just hoped you enjoyed this and whatnot. Feel free to leave a comment! If you're wondering who the fuck the Hokage is, I have no answer. Maybe it's Orochimaru because they couldn't find anyone else. It's not Toru's problem whoever it is.


End file.
